1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to water conservation-friendly lawn care systems. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to irrigation systems that are responsive to the detection of pet elimination events.
2. Discussion
The ability to maintain a green and healthy lawn has been an important goal in residential as well as commercial settings for many years, and particularly in times of heightened water conservation. Indeed, while there may have been much focus on improving lawn fertilization, seeding and irrigation techniques, there remains substantial room for improvement. A particular area of concern relates to environments in which household pets have access to the lawn. In particular, when pets eliminate (i.e., urinate or defecate) on grassy areas, nitrogen from the urine or feces tends to disperse into the soil in high concentrations around the area where the pet has eliminated. The result may be unsightly “burn spots” in the lawn where the pet has deposited the waste product. The challenge can be most severe when female large-breed dogs urinate, due to the squatting posture that female dogs tend to use when they urinate and the relatively fast dispersion rate of nitrogen in liquid form. While certain techniques, such as dietary supplements and “scarecrow” solutions, can be attempted to address this concern, these techniques may have provided limited, if any, improvement. For example, dietary supplements that attempt to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the pet's waste may be harmful to the pet's health, and scarecrow solutions that attempt to frighten away pets with water and/or sound, can be simply ignored by the pet.